الِاسْتِفْهَامُ بِالْهَمْزَةِ
Questioning with hamza.
The expressions fall into three functional groups: those that seek identification, those primarily restricted to assent, and hamza, which can request either. This explains hamza’s breadth and hal’s narrower primary use.
Man asks about a person, ayna about place, and matā about time; each answer fills a missing slot. By contrast, the basic task of hal is to seek assent about a judgment.
ClassInstrumentsPrimary aim
IdentificationMā, man, ayy, kam, kayfa, ayna, annā, matā, ayyānaIdentify an element
Assent onlyHalAffirm/deny judgment
BothInterrogative hamzaIdentification or assent